Wheel assemblies of this type are known in which fans are specifically dedicated to cooling the brakes of aircraft landing gear. These devices are necessary since the heat released by the brakes, in particular during landing, is significant and may present a risk to the integrity of the braking system. Furthermore, accelerated cooling of the brakes allows the plane to take off again within better timeframes, the brakes having to be kept below a specific temperature limit in order to prevent them from becoming broken during an emergency landing. The disadvantage of current cooling devices is that they are a significant source of noise.
Owing to mechanical and structural limitations, an operational clearance must be left between the radial end of the blades of the fan and the air circulation channel formed in the internal structure of the wheel, in which the fan is positioned. This operational clearance, referred to as “blade head clearance”, is a source of noise, which is principally responsible for the increase in the noise level when the fans are used to cool the brakes in these assemblies. This source of noise is difficult to limit since mechanical and structural limitations require a significant clearance in particular in order to allow the significant clearance of the rotor during landing operations.
The object of the present invention is to provide a wheel assembly which produces a reduced level of noise.